Adjustable extension-shelf.



B. C. HOWELL. ADJUSTABLE EXTENSION SHELF.

APPLIUATION P ILED AUG. 2e, 1907.

916,785. Patented Mar. 30, 1909,

PATENT easier..

BENTON C. HOWELL. Ol" CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ADJUSTABLE EITENSION-SHE LF.

Specification oi Letters Patent.

Patented March 30, 1909.l

Application led August 26, 1907. Serial No. 390,175.

.To all. whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, BENTON C. Rownni., a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Clncarqjm'inthe county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new andl -useful Improvements in -Adnistable Extension-Shelves; and I do hereby declare that the' followingis a full, Clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

T his invention relates to anfimprovement in hanging shelves and refers more specifically to that class of,A shelves adapted to be hung from a picture molding;

One of the objects of the invention is to provide means whereby the vertical distanees will, and another object is to provide a .construction 4of supports whereby a maximum amount of contact surface may be presented betweenthe wall ofa room, andv the parts of the supporting members and inner edges of the shelves, thereby insuring a greater' amount of `firmness and hanging shelf and preventing lateral movement thereof.

vIn' the'drawingsz-Fignre l is aperspec` tive view of the hanging shelves, showing the means for supporting the saine from a picture molding. Fig. 2 is a part sectional View, taken on line 2 2 of Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of the supporting or hook-.arm members of 'the shelf. Fig. 4 is a sectional view lshowing the means for connecting the lower shelf member to the supporting rods. Fig. 5 represents one of the rods and connecting parts. .40y

cate a plurality of shelves which As shown in the drawings, A A1 A2 indihorizontally arranged are connected with each other by upright connecting rods B B1, and are supported from a picture molding O or other suitable horizontal support, -by means D D, engaging said molding@ attheir upper ends and connected I'wi-th said shelves at their lower ends.l The suspension members D D are' each constructed of a single piece of wire or other material 'which -is bent between its ends to l d, Z1 which are in between the shelves may be varied atV stability of the l 1 l l. l l l .ably nearer the angular and downwardly divergent relation to each other. Belowthe .point at which the wire is bent or folded, the arms thereof are twisted about each other and the folded end of the wire above the point where the arms are twisted together is bent forwardly and then rearwardly and 7 downwardly, thereby forming a rearwardly facing hook .D1 shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. The rear arms accompanying drawings, and to the letters (Z1 (I1 or those adjacent to which the shelves are hung are upright, while the arms (l (Z are forwardly inclined, and extend to the front margin of the upper shelf A. The upper ends of the connecting rods B B extend through apertures near the corners of the shelves A- A1 A1 in line with the said rods. l

F F1 indicate sleeves adapted to receive the screw-threaded ends' of the rods B B1 above the several shelves. Said sleeves F F1 are interiorly screw-threaded, the lower ends thereofbeing adapted to receive the upper ends of the rods B B1, and the upper ends of said sleeves being constructed to receive the lower screw-threaded ends of the arms (i Z1 of the suspension members D D.

By the constructie described and illustrated in Figs. 1., 2 and 3, it will be observed that the arms (Z1 (Z1 will extend vertically below the picture molding, in a line considerwall than the outer edge of the molding C. By bending the hook-arms (I (Z1 to suit each particular case it will be manifest that the arms (Z1 Z1 may be adapted to rest against the wall throughout`the-en tire length thereof below the hook D1 down to the pointsI at which they are bent inwardly toward the shelf member-A, so that their ends may engage the sleeves F F1. The arms (Z (Z of the hook suspension members D extend downwardly and forwardly, as-shown in the drawings, thereby forming a support for the front edges of the shelf members A1and A1, and preserving the horizontal level thereof. Immediately above. the point where the ends of the arms Zflentei' the topsl of the sleeve F F, -the said arms il d are b'ent. so that lthey may enter the said sleeves in the same line as the rods B B. Screw-nuts I I1 are placed upon the upper screw-tln'eaded ends of the rods B B1 so as to rest in close contact with the lower surthe wall against I nieves said rcd. Screws G G1 provided with elongated heads extend upwardly through the 'lcwer shelf Imembers in line with vthe rods B and B1. rlhe upper ends of said screws engage the lower interior screw-threaded end of the sleeves F and'Fl, while the bottom surface of the lower shelf rests upon the top surfaces of the heads of said screws, wherein by vertical'movement of said lower shelf A2 is prevented. Apertures g g1 are provided in the elongated. heads of the screws G G1, wherein a wire or nail may be inserted to turn said screws and ltighten or loosen the same. Each of the sleeves F and F1 is provided with similar apertures f' f for the same purpose.

,lt is evident that by-t-he construction illustrated in the drawings, the greater part ne of the weight of the hanging shelves will rest upon the vertical arms d1' ,1. ,This will have a tendency to preserve the Contact bet' een the said arms all Z1 and the surface of 'the -wall, thereby diminishing the probability ef any accidental lateral displacement of the shelves and the consequent liability of the dislodginent of any articles thereon. Iller over, inasmuch as the sleeves F1 F 1`,are

a ed at equal distances vfrom the inner of the shelf membersA AAZ, the inedges ,of'said members will always ren in contact," with the wall and further diminish the chance of any `lateral movenieiitlof theslielves. y 35 .lt isi-clearly obv-ions that the relative distances between the shelf members A A1 A2, may be varied at will by turning the sleeves l? and F1 and thereby causing the rods B e `ldlfto rise and fall, while the parallel reen ofthe shelf members"may still be ntaine'd. This is -an especially import feature of my invention,[inasmuch'as of this class, areV generally used for ling books, plates, china, etc. of different l.; E indicate longitudinal grooves proed in the upper surfaces of the members n.1 EL?, to receive the edges of plates or hes when the shelves are used for holding nods of this nature.

l claim as my invention l. The combination with a'plurality of shelves arranged one abo-ve -they other and ovided near their edges with apertures, of us for connecting Ysaid shelves comprisplurality of vertically arranged rods *iding through saidapertures and. coin- 'to end coupling sleeves connecting the euded-ali'ned ends of the adjacent ions, and nuts on the rod sect-ions the shelves, between which and the the shelves are c oniined, the arranget being such las to permit-vertical adjustof the shelf member directly above the l ment of said shelves r portion and two arms which at their lower ends are consing sections, certain of which' meet endiove said" shelves, interiorly screw- I 3. The combination with-a plurality of' comiectedshelves provided with apertures near their forward and rear edges, of upright rodswhich extend between and connect said' shelves and extend through the apertures thereof, a plurality of suspension ,members each constructed of a single piece L of wire bent between its ends to form a h oolr downwardly divergent nected with said upright rods, the rear arms being upright and located in the same Vertical plane with the rear edges ofthe shelves.

et. The combination with a pliiraltyofy shelves ape'rtured near their forward and rear margins, 'of upright rods which connect the shelves with each other, and which pass at their upper ends through said apertures, and are screw-threaded at such upper ends, nuts on said rods below the uppermost shelf, suspension members for sustaining `said shelves, each comprising awire bent between its ends to .forni two downwardly divergent arms and having a hook'at its upper end, the lower ends of said arms being arranged in vertical alinement with said rods, and interiorly screw-threaded sleeves connecting' said arms to the upper ends of said rods, ysaid sleeves bearing upon the upper face of said uppermost shelf. 5..The combination with a plurality of shelves apertured near their forward and.

rear edges, of a plurality offupright rods extending between said shelves, said rods being screw-threaded at their upper ends and having their said'uppe'r ends extended through the apertures in the shelves, nuts on the rods below theshelves, interiorly screw-threaded sleeves connecting the screw-threaded endsof therods and'bearing upon the upper sur- -t'aces ofsaid shelves, suspension members each consisting' of a wire bent between its ends to forni two downwardly divergent arms and provided with a hook at its-upper end, the lower ends of. said ranged in alinement with said connecting rods, interiorly screw-threaded sleeves connectii'igithe lower ends of. the arms with the upper ends of the connecting reds which' elatively to each other a pluralityv lof arms being. ar-

as my invention 1 :lx my signature '1n the preenue of two witnesses, this 26th day of July A. D. 1907.

BENTON C. HOWELL.

pass through .the 'uppernmst shelf, nid

sleeves bearing on the top Surface of said uppermost' shelf, and headed screws passing lthrough the apertures of the lowermost shelf 5 and engaging the screw-threaded sleeves 011 the lowernlost connecting rods.

` Intestnnony, that claim thel foregoing 

